Mail-handling device.



J. H'. BUCHANAN. MAIL HANDLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Feb. 1, 1910.

wi/imemao J. H; BUCHANAN.

MAIL HANDLING DEVICE APPIJIGATION IILED JULY 29, 1909.

Patented Feb. 1, 19m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JOHN H. BUCHANAN, ASHLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JGHN H. WARNER AND ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH F. THOMAS, OF ASHLEY, PENN- SYLVANIA.

MAIL-HANDLING DEVICE.

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To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. BUCHANAN,

citizen of the United States, residing at Ashley, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Handling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in devices for transferring mail from and to moving trains, and the invention has for one of its primary objects, a simple, durable and eflicient construction of mail handling mechanism designed to be embodied in a railway mail coach, and so arranged that it will be positive and substantially automatic in its action to receive the mail into the car from the crane alongside of the track and to subsequently and automatically swing a bag to be delivered out from the car so that it will be caught by a train or the like and deposited at the station without any liability of injury to the bags or mail matter contained therein.

The invention also has for its object, an improved construction of crane designed to be arranged alongside of the track to cooperate etl'ectively and in a positive manner with the devices that are carried by the car.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and co1nbinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view partly in side elevation of the car mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention; and, Fig. 2 is a perspective view partly in section of the mail crane designed to be located alongside of the track.

I shall first describe the mail handling devices that are located within the car, then Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 29,

Patented Feb. 1, 191th. 1909. Serial No. 510,293.

i describe the crane which is located alongside of the track and finally describe the general operation of the two devices.

Referring to the drawings and now particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the bottom sill ot the framework of my improved mail handling mechanisms which is designed to be located at and in the doorway of a railway mail coach, the ends of said sill being upwardly turned as indicated at 2 and 3 and 4t designate respectively the standards which extend upwardly and which are designed to support portions of the actuating mechanism. Supported by and between the standards 3 and 4 and secured thereto in any desired way is a horizontally extending tubular casing 5 in which a rod 6 is arranged for a longitudinal movement, the said rod being held at one limit of its movement by an expansion spring 7 bearing against the rod 6 at one end and also bearing against a plate 8 secured by screws 9 or other fastening devices to the standard 3. Mounted to turn and slide upon the casing 5 as a sleeve provided with opposite flanges 10 and 11, the flange 10 having a thimble 12 secured to it and a handle 13 being mounted within said thimble. These flanges 10 and 11 are preferably formed in two parts as indicated in Fig. 1 and secured together by screws or rivets passing through openings 14:. A metal receiving hook 15 extends out from the flange 11, the said hook being of any desired construction or design as is customary in this class of devices. A pin 16 is secured to the rod 6 and extends out through an opening in the casing 5, and the sleeve which is tormedwith the flanges 10 and 11 is formed with a bayonet slot through which the pin end protrudes, the slot permitting a quarter turn to be given to the sleeve which carries the hook.

The rod 6 is provided at its end opposite to the spring 7' with a trigger 18 which ex tends outwardly through a longitudinal slot 19 formed in the casing 5 and which is designed for locking engagement with a trip arm 20 secured to a vertically disposed spindie 21 which is mounted for a rotary move- 5 engage the lower end of the spindle and raise ment about a horizontal axis, and a limited vertical movement in brackets 22 and 23 formed on the standard 3 and extending inwardly therefrom. The spindle 21 carries 25, the same extending horizontally therefrom and provided at their outer ends with bag holding hooks 26 and 27 pivoted between ears formed on the outer ends of the arms 24 and 25 and arranged for a yielding movement by means of springs 28 and 29, said springs being secured at one end to the bag holding arms as by brackets 30 secured by bolts 31.

It is to be understood that the springs bear against the bag holding hooks at one end and that they extend from the arms 24 and 25 so that a bag may be secured at its upper and lower ends to the hooks so as to be suspended from and between the arms, and that when the bag is stripped from the hooks, the springs will permit them to yield so that the bag may be easily removed without any danger of breaking any of the, parts. The spindle 21 is encircled by a spring 32 and arranged to turn the same in a direction to swing the bag holding arms out of the car. In the practical operation of this portion of my improved mail handling mechanism, it is to be understood that a bag will be sus pended by the arnis 24 and 25 while the same are drawn inwardly into the car, the trigger 18 being engaged with the trip arm 20 and holding the arms in their inner position against the tension of the spring 32. The hook 15 is then extended out of the car so as to engage the bag which is held by any suitable device along the track, and it is obvious that as soon as the bag is engaged by the hook, the impact of the bag will force the hook rearwardly and compress the spring 7, the rod 6 being moved in adirection to release the trigger 18 from the trip arm 20 permitting the bag holding arms to quickly swing outward and carry the bag out of the door in a position to be stripped from the arms. Manifestly the hook 15 will be lowered so as to deposit the bag in the car.

In order to lock the spindle 21 in a position where it will hold the bag-holding arms extended out from the doorway of the car, the said spindle is formed at its lower end with a spline 33 arranged when the spindle is turned by the spring 32 to enter a groove formed in the lower bearing 23 so that the spindle will drop slightly and lock itself in place with the arms 24 and 25 pointing out of the doorway. In order to return the parts to their normal position ready for a succeeding operation, I have provided a footlever 35 which is pivoted as at 36 and which is designed to extend up through the opening 37 in the bracket or bearing 23 so as to it until its spline is released from the groove,

whereupon the spindle may be turned backwardly against the tension of the spring 32 by grasping either one of the bag holding 1 upper and lower ba holding arms 24 and.

arms and may be held in such position by the trigger 18 engaging the trip arm 20.

The crane which is designed to be located alongside of the track comprises a standard which is provided with a base 38 having apertured ears 39 by which it may be secured by screws or the like to a station platform for instance. Said standard is hollow and contains a post 40 which is arranged to be turned about a vertical axis in the standard by a handle 41 projecting out through a horizontally extending slot 42. The upper end of the post 40 has secured to it by a bolt 43 or the like, the hub portion 44 of a horizontally swinging arm 45 which is adapted to snap over a horizontally disposed plate 46 secured to the upper end of the standard as by the head 47. The post 40 is encircled by a spring 48 one end of which is secured to the standard and the other end of which is secured to the post so as to turn the post in a direction to carry the arm 45 away from the track.

The bag receiving arm 45 of the crane is formed with a recess 49 designed to receive and be engaged by a detent 50 pivotally mounted on a plate 51 depending from the plate 46 and spring pressed by a spring 53 in a direction to swing it out of engagement with the arm 45. This detent extends out through an opening 54 in the plate 46 into engagement with the arm 45. The outer end of the detent 50 has a pull spring 55 secured to it, the said pull spring extending downwardly and arranged for detachable connection with staple 56 or the like secured to the standard as by the hooked link 57.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be understood that when the arm 45 is swung outwardly to catch the bag which is held by the arms 24 and 25, preparatory to swinging the arm 45 outwardly the spring 55 is en gaged with the standard so as to depress the outer end of the detent 50 and cause said detent to snap upwardly into the recess 49 so as to hold the arm 45 straight out toward the track and prevent it from swinging away from the track. After the arm has been thus swung out, the spring 55 will be detached from the standard whereupon the spring 53 will be permitted to exert its tension upon the detent in a direction to release the same, although the spring 48 is (it such a strength as to hold the arm 45 against. the detent and prevent the releasing of the arm until it is struck by the bag. \Vhen the arm 45 is struck by the bag in the bag holding arms 24 and 25 the impact of the bag will eaaosv:

force the arm 45 rearwardly, whereupon said spring 53 will instantly release the detent and the spring 48 will be permitted to act to swing the arm 45 away from the track and carry the bag to a safe position on the platform or the like. In order to hold the bag on the arm 45 after it has struck the same, the arm 45 is provided with a spring latch 56 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the same being assembled in a sleeve 57 encircling the arm 45 and being held therein in a detachable manner as by a wedge 58.

In order to make the operation of the arm 45 in carrying the bag from the track a gradual one and prevent any shocks or jars, I have provided a drag device which in the present instance comprises a plate 59 which is hinged at one end as indicated at 60 to the supporting plate 5% and which is curved at its opposite end as indicated in a direction to take over the adjacent edge of the arm 45.

61 designates a tension spring which encircles a bolt extending through the supporting plate 46 and the plate 59, the bolt being provided at its lower edge with a tension nut 62 and at its upper end with a head 63.

It will be seen that when the arm 45 swings around away from the track, it will pass under the plate 59 and cause the same to move upward against the tension of its spring 61 wedging underneath the plate, the latter thereby causing the swinging movement of the arm 45, to be a gradual one and without shock or undue vibration.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination, mail bag holding arms, a spindle carrying said arms, means tending to turn said spindle to swing said arms in one direction, said spindle being provided with a trip arm, a bag catching hook, a rod connected to said hook and spring pressed in one direction, and a trigger carried by said rod and arranged to engage said trip arm, and hold said spindle against the action of its moving means.

2. In combination, a bag catching hook, a sleeve carrying said hook, a tubular casing on which said sleeve is mounted, a rod mounted within the casing and connected to the hook and spring pressed in one direction and provided at one end with a trigger, a vertically disposed spindle, means tending to turn said spindle in one direction, the spindle being provided with a trip arm designed to be engaged by the triggerand bag carrying arms secured to said spindle.

3. In mechanism of the character described, a horizontally disposed tubular easing, means for supporting the same, a rod mounted within the casing, a spring within the casing engaging one end of the rod to hold. it under a tension, the rod being provided at its opposite end with a trigger and near its end which is engaged by the spring with a pin projecting therefrom through the casing, a sleeve mounted to slide and turn on the casing and formed with a slot receiving said pin, a bag catching hook carried by said sleeve, a vertically disposed spindle, means for supporting the same, to turn about a horizontal axis, the spindle being arranged to also have a limited vertical movement, bag holding arms secured to said spindle, a trip arm carried by the spindle and arranged for engagement by the trigger, and means whereby the spindle will be locked rigidly in its support after being turned.

4. In mechanism of the character described, a horizontally disposed tubular casing, means for supporting the same, a rod mounted within the casing, a spring within the casing engaging one end of the rod to hold it under a tension, the rod being provided at its opposite end with a trigger and near its end which is engaged by a spring with a pin projecting therefrom through the cas ing, a sleeve mounted to slide and turn on the casing and formed with a slot receiving said pin, a bag catching hook carried by said sleeve, a vertically disposed spindle, means for supporting the same, to turn about a horizontal axis, the spindle being arranged to also have a limited vertical movement, bag holding arms secured to said spindle, a trip arm carried by said spindle and arranged for engagement by the trigger, and means whereby the spindle will be locked rigidly in its support after being turned, and a foot lever arranged to raise the spindle whereby to release it from the locking means and permit it to be restored to normal position.

In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a hollow standard, a post mounted to rotate in said standard and spring pressed in one direction, a bag receiving arm secured to said post to turn therewith, a spring pressed detent an ranged for engagement with said arm, the spring of said detent tending to draw it away from said arm and for the purpose set forth.

6. In mechanism of the character described, a hollow standard, a post mounted to rotate within said standard and spring pressed in one direction, a bag catching arm secured to and movable with said post, a detent arranged to engage said arm and spring pressed out of engagement therewith, ancl a detachable spring arranged to engage the detent and hold it in locking engagement with the arm.

7. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a hollow standso as to engage the bag catching arm in the 10 ard, a post mounted to turn therein, and swinging movement thereof.

spring pressed in one direction, a bag catch- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ing arm carried by said post, means for bold in presence of two witnesses.

in said arm in o erative position against T th tension of the sgring of the post, a brake JOHN BUCHANAI\' plate adapted to take over the post, and a Witnesses:

tensioned spring secured to said brake plate W. N. VVoonsoN, and arranged to hold the same in position FREDERICK S. STITT. 

